Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Temple defeats Tulane to stay unbeaten

The Owls will try to go to 6-0 for the first time since 1974 when they host winless Central Florida on Saturday.

Temple's David Hood scores as Tulane's Roderic Teamer defends.
Temple's David Hood scores as Tulane's Roderic Teamer defends.Read more(David Maialetti/Staff Photographer)

TEMPLE HAS been playing football since 1894. For the seventh time, the Owls have won their first five games. They beat Tulane (2-3, 1-1 American Athletic) Saturday on Homecoming at Lincoln Financial Field, 49-10.

The visitors led 10-7 early in the second quarter. The Owls were up by 11 at halftime and by 32 after 45 minutes.

It was their first home game in a month.

Only three teams from North Broad have made it to 6-0. It last happened in 1974. On Saturday the Owls (2-0 AAC) host winless Central Florida, which just lost by 27 at home to Connecticut (3-3, 1-1).

They've never been 7-0. They'll be at East Carolina (3-3, 1-1), which just lost by seven at Brigham Young (4-2), on Oct. 22 for a Thursday nighter.

They're 26th in the Associated Press (media) poll, with 96 votes. They haven't been ranked in 36 years.

The Owls have won their third quarters, 75-6. For the third time and second straight week, they posted a second-half shutout. They haven't allowed any points at home after intermission.

Running backs Jahad Thomas and promising freshman Ryquell Armstead scored two touchdowns apiece. And P.J. Walker, who coach Matt Rhule said afterward has been playing with a shoulder (he wouldn't indicate which) that was separated in the opener against Penn State, was 11-for-15 for 183 yards and two scores.

Sophomore defensive back Sean Chandler returned an interception 22 yards for a TD. Senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich remains the only FBS player to lead his team in tackles in every game this season.

The network for the Halloween game here against No. 14 Notre Dame (5-1) will be selected next Monday. And a kickoff time should also be set. But the network can elect to pick in a six-day window, which would delay the decision until the following Sunday. That's often the scenario when games are of higher significance.

Penn State 29, Indiana 7

A week earlier, the Hoosiers (4-2, 0-2 Big Ten) had played Ohio State to a seven-point game at home. But on Saturday, the Nittany Lions (5-1, 2-0), playing their fifth straight in State College, beat the Hoosier for their fifth straight win. Next week they're at Ohio State.

The Nittany Lions played without running backs Saquon Barkley and Akeel Lynch for the second game in a row. Indiana was without quarterback Nate Sudfeld and RB Jordan Howard. It lost backup QB Zander Diamont in the third quarter to a shoulder injury. He scored Indy's TD late in the first quarter to make it 7-all.

The Hoosiers were averaging a conference-best 498 yards offense. They had 234.

Christian Hackenberg (21-for-39, 262 yards threw for two TDs (both 39-yarders) and rushed for two more.

William & Mary 38, Villanova 16

The Wildcats (2-3, 1-1 Colonial Athletic) haven't looked the same since quarterback John Robertson was lost for the season with a knee injury late in their comeback win over Delaware on Sept. 19.

And a season that began with high expectations is looking like it could be on life support.

Coming off a bye, they had 16 days to get ready for this. But they lost their second straight at home, something that hadn't happened since they went 2-9 in 2011 coming off a run to the national semifinals.

They led 10-3 after a quarter. The Tribe (3-2, 2-1) scored the next 35, 28 in the second period. They got TDs of 71 (run), 94 (interception return) and 53 (pass) in less than 10 minutes.

The last two years, Villanova won this game on either a last-minute Robertson TD pass or run.

Redshirt freshman Zach Bednarczyk was 13-for-31 for 164 yards, with two picks.

This week the Wildcats are at Albany (2-4, 1-2), which just lost 39-7 to Maine (2-3, 2-1) at home.

Fordham 48, Penn 45

Fordham, the 13th-ranked team in FCS got a 31-yard field goal with 8 seconds left, capping a 51-yard, nine-play drive after the host Quakers tied things on an 13-yard TD pass and two-point conversion at 1:46.

The Rams (5-1) were ahead 35-10 after 27 minutes. Sophomore Chase Edmonds, the top rusher in FCS, gained 233 yards and scored five times. He had 156 in the first half.

Penn senior Andrew Lisa, making his first start since Moorestown (N.J.) High School in place of Alek Torgersen (concussion), threw for 263 and three TDs.

After Fordham went up by eight at 3:53 on a 44-yard FG by second-string kicker Alejandro Cardenas, Penn got a 44-yard kickoff return from Lonnie Ruff and then went 47 yards in eight plays. Lisa found Ryan Kelly for the TD and Justin Watson to pull even.

Makay Redd - who had a groin injury that was supposed to limit him to PATs - made the game-winner. Kevin Anderson passed for a career-best 377 yards. Lisa was 24-for-37 for 263, with two INTs. Brian Schoenauer rushed for 161 and three scores on 22 carries.

Penn (1-3, 0-1) now goes to Columbia (1-3, 0-1) to face former coach Al Bagnoli, whose Lions beat visiting Wagner 26-3 to end a 24-game losing streak. The Quakers haven't lost this game since 1996, though they did forfeit their 1997 win for using a player who was later declared ineligible.

Michael Jack's Top 10

1. Ohio State (6-0). Beat Maryland, 49-28. Saturday: vs. Penn State. Won at Happy Valley last year, 31-24. Beat Nittany Lions in 2013 at home, 63-14.

2. Utah (5-0). Beat California, 30-24. Saturday: vs. Arizona State. Why not? Have as many or more good wins than anyone. As Michigan and Oregon.

3. Baylor (5-0). Beat Kansas, 66-7. Saturday: vs. West Virginia. Lost at West Virginia last year, 41-27. Beat Mountaineers at home in 2013, 73-42.

4. Texas Christian (6-0). Beat Kansas State, 52-45. Saturday: at Iowa State. That's twice in three weeks Frogs scored over 50 and won by a touchdown or less. Won at Iowa State last year, 55-3.

5. Michigan State (6-0). Beat Rutgers, 31-24. Saturday: at Michigan. That's two close wins over two bad teams in as many weeks. Oregon win seems like long time ago. Has won 7 of last 8 against Michigan.

6. Florida (6-0). Beat Missouri, 21-3. Saturday: at Louisiana State. Has lost 4 of last 5 at LSU. As have a bunch of teams.

7. Louisiana State (5-0). Beat South Carolina, 45-24. Saturday: vs. Florida. Won at UF last year by 3 in first meeting since 1993 when neither was ranked. That also broke streak of 10 straight when both were in Top 25.

8. Clemson (5-0). Beat Georgia Tech, 43-24. Saturday: vs. Boston College. Will try not to be looking ahead to game at Miami. Has beaten BC, which just lost 3-0 at home to Wake Forest, 4 straight.

9. Florida State (5-0). Beat Miami, 29-24. Saturday: vs. Louisville. Won by 11 last year at Louisville after trailing 21-0. Leads series 13-2.

10. Notre Dame (5-1). Beat Navy, 41-24. Saturday: vs. Southern Cal. Lost by 35 last year in LA. Won in 2014 at home, 14-10. Lost the previous 5 meetings in South Bend.

Next five: Mississippi (5-1), Alabama (5-1), Michigan (5-1) Texas A&M (5-0) and Stanford (4-1).

Michael Jack's Fraud Five

Oklahoma - I know it's a rivalry game, and things happen in college football, but Texas was 1-4 and had just got beat 50-7 at TCU. But we've come to almost expect this kind of stuff from Mr. Stoops.

Southern Cal - Let's see, that's two home losses as a double-digit favorite in three weeks. Can't you hear those Chip Kelly rumors getting ready to circulate? Or even percolate.

Northwestern - It's OK to lose to this Michigan team, especially in the Big House, even when you're unbeaten and ranked higher. But 38-0?

Georgia - I know the Dawgs lost their big-time running back on the first snap. Still, they were up 21 against a Tennessee team that had already lost twice at home and blown two double-digit fourth-quarter leads. And wasn't this supposed to finally be their season?

Missouri - Normally the Tigers might not have done enough to make it. But I needed a fifth, so ... It's OK to lose to this Florida team, even at home. But you probably should be able to score more than 3 points. Then again, the two-time defending SEC East champs only got 9 last month against visiting Connecticut.

But the really big news was, I finally won my Best Bet in the college picks. Imagine that. Thanks, Miami. Or maybe I should be thanking Florida State.